Forced retirement ends grim weekend

By Sarah Edworthy

12:01AM BST 08 Jul 2002

Off-track demands on a grand prix driver are so many and various that during the Canadian Grand Prix David Coulthard climbed into his car and found himself chanting inside his helmet: "This is it, this is race day. This is why I do this job."

First, whether he could achieve his first podium finish. A strong test at Barcelona had suggested that Renault's new aerodynamic package made them a match for McLaren. Second, where he was off to next season. Team sources have hinted that Button could be released by Renault for "commercial considerations", thus making him "the key to the 2003 driver market". All that before he got anywhere near his car.

Button courteously played down expectations that he might produce a career highlight for the home crowd. Like Allan McNish and Eddie Irvine, two other British drivers with their positions under scrutiny, he repeated the line about doing the best job you can. "I'm not making any predictions. It was good to score points at the last race after several unlucky results, but scoring points is our aim everywhere," he said.

"It would be fantastic to get my first podium anywhere, and yeah doing it at Silverstone would be pretty special."

Then it was back to the rigid schedule that anchors the 22-year-old's racing life amid a wash of potential distractions. "You've got to try to keep things the same over a race weekend so you know where you are," he said.

Race Diary

THURSDAY

Late morning: Arrives at Silverstone after three days' fitness training in mountains above Monaco. Stays in a motorhome rented for the race meeting, parked in the British Racing Drivers Club campsite between Mark Blundell and Mika Salo. Scooters over to the paddock.

Noon: Interview with national newspaper followed by 30-minute massage with physiotherapist Phil Young and lunch of pasta and vegetables.

Talks to engineers Paul Monoghan and Rod Nelson. Relaxes with Phil the physio. "I help him chill out, usually by having big disagreements over music," Young said. "He likes R'n'B and I like blues, and although we have one common theme - we both love Seventies music - we fight over the remote control, battling between MTV and VH1 Classic. Other than that we chat about anything other than racing."

4pm: Media interviews. Questioned about the speculation on his F1 future ("good fun"), when a decision might be made ("haven't a clue"), how much he thinks about the "silly season" talk ("half an hour a day, during media questions!"), whether he has proved his worth in his sport ("definitely") and whether Renault would be his first choice ("the team is one big family").

Dinner back in motorhome. Early to bed.

FRIDAY

7.30am: Breakfast of muesli and fruit, eaten at least 90 minutes before he gets into the car.

Massage for 30 minutes to warm up and stretch muscles. "So he doesn't get into the car cold and pull something on the first bend," Young explains.

11am-noon: Free practice No 1. Sets out to fine-tune car to track's characteristics and do tyre comparisons. Break for an hour, eats bananas.

1-2pm: Free practice No 2. A mixed day. Given intermittent rain, neither Button nor team-mate Jarno Trulli manage thorough evaluation of new aerodynamic package. Trulli finishes 16th, Button ninth. "We had a good morning, but it tailed off a little during the afternoon," Button said. "In terms of the aero package, it was hard to judge in these conditions - we need to wait for the sun to come out!" Lengthy debriefs with engineers.

Lunch: pasta with tomato-based sauce followed by chill-out time.

3pm: FIA press conference in media centre. Questioned on his future: "I've got some options for next year, but again I'm not thinking of where I'm going to be yet. I've got to just concentrate on this weekend and the races coming and then when I know what my options are, I will make a decision."

Questioned about saying he will return to Williams: "I've been quoted as saying a lot of things that I didn't actually say. That I would drive for less money is a good one. Who would do that? I haven't made a decision as to what's happening next year. I've got some options but I want to see what else there is first before I make my decision."

Back to team motorhome for physio. "The end-of-day massage is a quick muscle MOT," Young says.

7.30pm: Drives himself in his Renault V6 to BRDC reception. Stays for 20 minutes before attending the Grand Prix Ball at Stowe. Interviewed on stage by ITV's Tony Jardine. Poses for photos with fans for 40 minutes. Back to circuit and in bed by 9pm.

SATURDAY

7.15am: Breakfast of muesli and fruit in Renault motorhome.

Massage to loosen muscles. Talk to engineers about car's behaviour on every aspect of cornering and overall performance: throttle response, tyre degradation, brake stability, aerodynamic efficiency and so on.

9-9.45: Free practice. Run through qualifying simulations and practice. Set programme and run with lower level of fuel to get more accurate feel of car in qualifying trim.

Personal refuelling from supply of bananas.

10.15-11: Free practice.

Out of cockpit, straight into truck to meet engineers and discuss anything that might need changing for qualifying.

1-2pm: Qualifying. Engine failure on first run, have to use spare car. "I'm very disappointed for Jenson. Driving a T-car without the new bodywork and with a lower specification engine, he was always going to struggle," says technical director Mike Gascoyne.

Button says: "It's always disappointing to qualify 12th, and even more so to do it here at Silverstone. The guys did a great job to get the T-car ready, but it's going to be a tough day tomorrow."

Debrief with engineers for about two hours. Button disappointed but philosophical about a mechanical failure beyond his control.

Lunch: More pasta, followed by relaxing time in team motorhome.

4pm: Press call.

5pm: Back to engineers, still chasing that extra edge.

7pm: Dinner at track of pasta and chicken.

Back to motorhome. "I like to be in bed by 10pm and I get a bit touchy if I'm not."

SUNDAY

Wakes up eager and optimistic despite yesterday's travails.

6.45am: Breakfast of muesli and fruit followed by massage.

8.30-9: Warm-up, then debrief to finalise race strategy.

Taken by marketing staff to make Paddock Club appearance. Asked about staying in the circuit in a caravan not 100 metres from hospitality village, he said: "It has been a grim weekend but the best part has been staying in the middle of it. There is a lot of fun going on in Silverstone during the night."

10.15: Drivers' parade, waving at fans from open-topped truck.

10.30: Lunch of rice and chicken with vegetables, before withdrawing to have some space to himself and a 30-minute sleep.

12.30pm: Over to the garage to get into car, ready for the climax of the weekend. Button's German grid girl stuns Renault mechanic by responding to his greeting with a grumpy: "S***, s*** English weather."

1pm: The Race. "I guess you'd call that exciting. I almost lost count of my pit stops, but it was five in the end. I was happy at the end of the first lap, making up five places at the start. Everything was working well even though I was struggling a little with understeer in the dry - we didn't quite get on top of the problem all weekend.

"At the first stop, I had to wait for Jarno to finish which obviously cost me time. Afterwards, the car wasn't too bad in the wet, but the Bridgestones were simply flying. It then got harder and harder as the track began to dry. At the end of the 55th lap, I noticed that the front left wheel was starting to move about, and the team retired me. It's obviously not the result I had hoped for at Silverstone, but at least it was exciting for the crowd!" Back to the motorhome to watch the Wimbledon men's final. Then on to the round of post-race parties. A brief respite before more busy weekends: the Goodwood Festival of Speed (July 12-14) and the French Grand Prix, Renault's home race, at Magny Cours in two weeks' time.